Even though it’s not out until March, political provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos’ autobiography Dangerous has raced to number two in Amazon’s Bestseller chart.
But the backlash against the book, which as Heat Street reported yesterday is being published by Simon & Schuster publishing house, a division of the liberal CBS corporation, is intensifying.
Judd Apatow and Sarah Silverman are among those calling on Simon & Schuster to abandon the book — for which they reportedly paid Milo a $250,000 advance — on the grounds that Milo is a political extremist who peddles hate speech.
The guy has freedom of speech but to fund him & give him a platform tells me a LOT about @simonschuster YUCK AND BOO AND GROSS https://t.co/CNDUDOHzke
— Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) December 29, 2016
I am in! In these times we can not let hatemongers get rich off of their cruelty. Shame on @simonschuster ! https://t.co/S6sACtKaoL
— Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) December 30, 2016
They have been joined by Danielle Henderson who also has a Simon & Schuster book out next year- a memoir entitled The Ugly Cry– and the Chicago Review of Books which has vowed not to review any books from the publishing house:
Whoa—that Milo book was bought by my publisher and I do NOT FEEL GOOD ABOUT THIS, @SimonBooks
— Danielle Henderson (@knottyyarn) December 29, 2016
In response to this disgusting validation of hate, we will not cover a single @simonschuster book in 2017. https://t.co/NAJhTgdeyX
— Chicago Rev of Books (@bookschicago) December 29, 2016
Milo has promised to be as uncompromising as ever in the book. He told Business Insider: “I hope to offend every reader.”
Whether or not Simon & Schuster caves in to the liberal criticism or sticks to its guns and supports the notion of free speech will be one of the more fascinating questions to be answered in early 2017.